Ialyssos Rhodes

The Ialyssos town  is certainly like many other places in Rhodes, a real open-air museum with a very rich and important the Hellenic history world behind it. It is located in the northwest part a few kilometers from the capital Rhodos Town.

Considered one of the most ancient cities of the island, a sacral confederation that included the Kos cities in the Dodecanese was part of Esapoli Dorica, Cnido which was in Anatolia in the Caria region in front of Halicarnassus (the current Bodrum), Halicarnassus , Lindos, and Kamiros the latter two also on the Rhodes island.

The story goes that the members met periodically in Cnido on the Triopio promontory to celebrate the games as a tribute to the God Apollo and the winners were rewarded with bronze tripods (three foot containers to heat the water) that had to remain in the Sanctuary. dedicated to divinity. Herod says that once a man from the Halicarnassus city named Agasicle, he took the trophy home to brag and as a punishment excluded him from the Halicarnassus league forever. The legend says that Ialyssos was founded by Ialysus nephew of Helios the God of the Sun, while the brothers Lindo and Camiro founded Lindos and Kamiros.

It had years of glory and power until about 410 BC when with the growing supremacy of the Rhodes City it took its place and was definitely abounded during the Roman Empire.

Unfortunately, today there is no longer any trace of the remains of the fortified Orykoma citadel since at first it was transformed into a sanctuary, to then become a Byzantine castle and finally in 1306 the Knights of St. John built their castle and the Santa Maria del Fileremo church . The last ruler who settled in 1522 was Suleiman when I conquered the island from the Knights.

On Mount Fileremo where the Acropolis of Ialyssos resided, a monumental source with a rectangular shape was found with a six-column portico from the 4th century BC which according to archaeologists received water directly from a source. Above another part of the mountain there are the remains of a small Doric temple of the V-IV BC dedicated to Apollo. On the summit the temple of the goddess Athena Ialyssa of which only the base dated III II BC remains which was very similar to the Athena temple in Lindos. All the findings are due to the Italians who in the period of their domination did their utmost to restore all these beauties to humanity.

Today Ialyssos is a modern seaside resort and with all comforts much loved by Rhodes well and by Northern European tourism, it has neoclassical houses and large villas with lush gardens.A large choice of cafes, restaurants, typical taverns where you can taste excellent dishes based on fresh Greek and local cuisine for a pre and after dinner, souvenir shops and many possibilities for accommodation from large resorts to hotels, apartments and guest houses.

Obviously Ialyssos beach is not lacking even if being exposed to the west it is often lashed by the winds, in fact it is one of the most popular destinations for lovers of kitesurfing and windsurfing.

To visit the Dormition of Mary church, the San Nicola church, the underground  San Giorgio church from the Byzantine era with frescoes of the fifteenth century inside, Mount Felerimo with its wild peacocks but now accustomed to the human being, to the old monastery of the  San Giovanni Knights of with its cross overlooking the summit and finally in the surroundings of Trianta practically the continuation of Ialyssos the remains of a settlement from the Minoan era.

 Is very simple, from Rhodes City follow the directions and from other parts of the island to reach the capital or perhaps by taking the roads of the hinterland and enjoying the beautiful landscape.

In short, here too there are sites, beaches and places to visit if you can put it on the list of things to see in Rhodes will be a beautiful day of culture and nature.